Touraine – The epitome of the Loire Valley
From Amboise in the east to Candes-Saint-Martin in the west, exquisite panoramic views of islands and shifting sand banks unfold before your eyes, making you feel like you’re watching a constantly changing painting.
More than anywhere else, the Loire, its tributaries and tuffeau hills form the perfect setting for landscaping and vine growing. Countless vintages wait in Touraine’s troglodyte cellars until its time to sample the Vouvray, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Montlouis-sur-Loire and so many other wine designations in the Loire.
The valley of kings is bursting with majestic landmarks that capture French history: Château Royal d’Amboise, Clos Lucé, Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, Château de Langeais, Château d’Ussé, Château de Villandry, Forteresse Royale de Chinon, Cité Royale de Loches and, last but not least, Château de Chenonceau!
Castle of Ussé – Loire Valley, France.
How not to also mention the GR3 and the Loire by bike trail, two inseparable routes of the Loire Valley. We walk or ride slowly, contemplating the spectacle of birds flying over the royal river. We beathe, we travel… and we also have a good time, on the terrace of the “guinguette café” !
Cycling Loire Valley - Bréhémont, between Tours and Saumur
Guinguette café - Sauvage, between Tours and Blois
Enjoy the wide open spaces
Take a trip in a traditional boat (a ‘gabare’ or a ‘toue cabanée’) and become completely immersed in the scenery, observing, as did the bargemen of the Loire, the beaver colonies, the iconic terns nesting on the banks and the huge catfish skimming the surface of the water. If you’d prefer stand up paddleboarding, canoeing or a trip in a hot-air balloon, you only have to ask!
Useful information: visit the accommodation section to find a hotel, campsite, holiday home or B&B for your weekend break or holiday.